Someone You Loved
by LVCEBREROS
Summary: [SPOILERS FOR IT: CHAPTER TWO] This story follows Richie Tozier after what happened at the end of It: Chapter Two. It's my first It story and I hope you guys like it. Please to Enjoy


So… It: Chapter Two hit my Reddie feels so hard. It was beautiful and heartbreaking in one moment. The movie as well as listening to "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi (for me, this is a song for Eddie and Richie) inspired me to write this story. This is my first It fanfiction so this story is just a one shot. I don't think my heart can have me writing a follow up.

Obviously, Spoilers for It: Chapter Two

That said, here is my story. Hope you guys like it.

* * *

_I'm going under, and this time, I fear there's no one to save me_

_This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy_

Richie Tozier had finished recraving on the kissing bridge. The past few days have been a horrific and maddening maelstrom of unfortunate events. He and his friends, the Losers Club, had returned to Derry to stop the diabolical monster that terrorized them that summer 27 years ago. Part of him regretted even coming back to Derry.

That regret mostly washed away the instant he set eyes on Eddie Kaspbrak.

_I need somebody to heal, somebody to know_

_Somebody to have, somebody to hold_

_It's easy to say, but it's never the same_

_I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain_

Despite how long it had been and how much life had kicked them around, Eddie still had that same spark in his eyes. A warmth that Richie had missed desperately.

Most of his life, Richie had been in relationships that he only entered because he felt empty. He needed something to make him feel the way Eds had made him feel. He wasn't honest with himself when he should've been. Now it was too late.

The Losers faced down Pennywise. They had won. But that victory came at a cost.

Eds. Eddie. His Eddie was killed at the hands of that monster.

After they defeated the creature who made all their lives a living hell, Richie wanted to go back for Eddie. He didn't want to leave him there. He wanted to give Eddie a proper burial. He didn't deserve to be buried with the husk that was It.

Richie wipes away the tears as he stood up and admired the craving. Why couldn't he have told Eddie when he had the chance? He wanted so badly to pull Eddie to one side while they were alone and tell him the truth. Admit that he was madly in love with him. Had been for a VERY long time.

In a perfect world, Richie did do this and Eddie would've said he felt the same way. They would have ridden off into the sunset like Ben and Beverly did. Made a life for themselves. Made up for all the time they wasted being alone or with those who didn't mean anything.

But this was not a perfect world. Eddie was gone.

Richie would have to live with that regret until he was reunited with his soulmate once again. That was the only comfort Death would offer him.

With a deep breath and an aching heart, Richie began to walk away from the bridge and make plans to leave Derry forever.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Richie packed his belongings into his luggage. He had until tomorrow morning to check out but he wanted to make sure he didn't forget anything. Like all his friends, he wanted to leave Derry with no trace. He didn't want an excuse to come back.

Richie was tempted to stop over and pick up an absurd amount of alcohol to numb the pain but deep down he knew it wouldn't help.

As he looked through his things, Richie opens a drawer and find an arcade token. Not just any arcade token. It was the token he offered to sacrifice for the ritual. It was pristine condition. Like it was never destroyed.

A terror washed over him. Was their victory just another one of Its sick tricks? Were they still down there? Had they failed? Was he trapped forever in the Deadlights?

"Hey, Trashmouth."

_Now the day bleeds into nightfall_

_And you're not here to get me through it all_

Richie's eyes widen at the voice as he whirls around and find a familiar figure standing at the door to his room.

"Eds?"

It was indeed Eddie Kaspbrak standing there. The stab wound Henry Bowers had given him on his face wasn't there. His clothes were clean and not drenched in blood. Eddie was a sight to behold.

Richie tentatively steps forward. Still believing this was another trick of the damn clown. "Eddie? Is that you?"

"Do you need convincing, Richie?" Eddie said with a wry grin.

"I need to know if this is real and not something that… It is using to-"

"He said you'd be skeptical." Eddie said with a smile.

"He?"

"The Turtle." Eddie answered, as if that would explain everything. "He's the one who brought me here."

"The… Turtle?" Richie asked skeptically.

"I can't really explain but he brought me back. Sort of as a reward for destroying Pennywise." Eddie replied. "It's one of the reasons you guys still remember the stuff It did to us. Why your memories haven't faded away."

Despite how ridiculous this sounded, Richie walks over to Eddie and held him in his arms. He was real. He felt warm. Not like a cold clammy corpse. "It's you."

Eddie nods. "Yeah, it is."

Richie instantly hugged Eddie tightly. Not wanting to let go. "Eds… Eds, I am so sorry."

"It's okay." Eddie said with a grin on his face.

"I didn't want to leave you in there but everything was collapsing and- and- I-I wanted to-"

"Richie, Richie, calm down." Eddie replied as he looked into Richie's eyes. "You're sounding like Bill when his stuttering got really bad."

Richie laughs through his tears. "I can't believe it's you."

"I still can't believe it either but… here I am." Eddie said with a laugh.

Richie looks around the room and he goes to pull Eddie out of the room but Eddie hesitated. "Come on, lets get out of here. We can leave Derry together."

"I can't."

Richie stares back at him in surprise. "What do you mean?" He asked, looking quite confused.

"This is temporary. He only brought me back so I can probably say goodbye." Eddie remorsefully told him.

_I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug_

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

"Goodbye?" Richie reacted with confusion and frustration. "I don't understand."

"He said that the lives of those It took can't be brought back. That the life had to maintain balance."

"I don't give a shit about balance!" Richie shouted.

"Richie.."

"I held you in my arms after you died. Do you have any idea how that felt?" Richie asked Eddie, tears streaming down his face. "You want me to go through that again because I can't, Eds! I-I can't lose you again! I can't go through that. I can't-"

Eddie walks over and holds Richie. "Hey, hey… it's okay. It's okay."

Richie grips on to Eddie tightly. Almost the same way he did when Eddie was lying on the ground dead..

Neither exchanged words for what felt like hours but it was merely a few moments. Richie was the first one to break the silence, like always.

"What happens now?"

"He gave us time to be together. After that, I have to go back." Eddie explained.

"How much time do we have?" Richie asked.

Eddie exhales deeply. "We have until tomorrow morning."

Richie shakes his head in utter refusal. "It's not enough time."

"Richie…"

"How am I supposed to go on with my life… knowing what we could've had?" Richie said through sobs.

The two of them remained silent until Richie touched Eddie's chest. Feeling his heart.

"We have enough time. We can stay here." Eddie suggested. "If that's what you want?"

Richie smiles and kisses Eddie on the forehead which makes Eddie giggle. "There's nothing else I wouldn't want, Eds."

* * *

Richie and Eddie sat on the floor of the room, eating pizza and have a few beers. The two of them were in the middle of a lively conversation.

"I still remember that day at the clubhouse." Richie said. "The fight over the hammock."

"Oh God, that was so stupid." Eddie exclaimed with a laugh. "But to be fair, that was your fault… you ignored the hammock rules."

"You never posted the rules on paper!" Richie told him.

"I set those rules for a reason, Tozier." Eddie said sounding a bit annoyed.

"Yeah yeah, your rules were just… frustrating." Richie said as he bit into his pizza.

Eddie smiles. "You know, it's nice having a conversation where our lives aren't in jeopardy."

"And where you don't have to lie to your mom about where you are." Richie reminds him.

"That too." Eddie said as he wipes his face with a napkin. "We could've done this a lot more."

"I wish I would have had the guts to tell you sooner. We lost so much time because I was scared." Richie admitted.

"I don't think that wouldn't have been the best idea. Think my mother would've had an aneurysm if she found out her son was gay." Eddie said nonchalantly.

Richie stares at him in surprise. "How long-"

"I figured it out after my second year of college but I was so scared of what people would think of me." Eddie told Richie.

Richie sighs. "Guess we both were just scared. It was the 80s, man. I probably would've gotten jumped and beaten to death for being who I was."

"Makes surviving a psychotic clown seem like a walk in the park." Eddie replied.

"Guess you're right." Richie said with a weak smile. "I wish I told you sooner. Before you-"

"Has anyone told you that you talk too much?"

Richie grins at this and leans in closer to Eddie. He waited for Eddie to recoil but he didn't and Richie kisses Eddie on the lips.

Eddie slowly pulls away and stares into Richie's eyes. "Before this goes any further, I want to say something." Richie nods in understanding as Eddie holds up the token. "Remember that I'll always be there with you."

With that, they move over to the bed and begin to make out on the bed. Awkwardly at first but they got the hang of it once they were more comfortable.

That night was one that felt like it would never end.

Sadly, it did.

* * *

Richie opens his eyes as the daylight filters into the room. He blinks and rubs his eyes as he puts on his glasses. He looks around the room and finds that he was alone.

For now, the day bleeds into nightfall

And you're not here to get me through it all

He sees that Eddie wasn't lying next to him on his bed. Eddie was gone.

Had Richie imagined all this? Was this all been a vivid dream? Was God really that cruel to do that to him?

Richie sits up and starts to go through the bed sheets and finds something. The shiny arcade token he found before Eddie came back to him.

_I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug_

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

A warm and hopeful smile forms on Richie's face. Last night was real. This was proof.

Richie gets dressed and grabs his belongings, preparing to leave when he stops and looks back into the room. He smiles as he remembers what Eddie said to him:

"Remember that I'll always be there with you."

Richie smiles and said out loud. "See ya around, Eds."

_I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

Richie shuts the door behind him and walks away. Out of Derry forever. But not alone.

Eddie will always be with him.

* * *

And that was my first It inspired story.. It wasn't good, I know but I hope you guys like it regardless how terrible it was.

If anyone wants an alternate ending to this story, feel free to leave a review to tell me so

Thanks for reading.


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